Purple Shards
by Deoxycytidine
Summary: In the lands of Survival 303, the Kingdom of Mithril is shaken at the kidnapping of Princess Annacaza. Meet a mysterious man, only known as Scarfacial, and his apprentice on their quest to save the damsel in distress. Of course, things are not as they seem.
1. Chapter 1

**Tales of a Wandering Scar Face  
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**Ft. Survival 303 Wiki editors and bad writing**

**This takes place on the old map of Survival 303.**

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><p>Once upon a time in the land of Survival 303 there was a large kingdom on Mainland. The inhabitants were blessed with plentiful beef and corn and ores and coal and could not wish for anything more. They revered their rightful princess of the Kingdom of Mithril, Annacaza. She was fair and had a great temper, but everyone agreed that she was fit to rule as the Purple Throne.<p>

But then, disaster struck as quick as a fox that jumped over the large brown bear. Which is to say that it was sudden… Ha… Ha...

"Oh no! Princess Annacaza has been kidnapped!" a servant shouted to the palace gate. A sleeping patrol instantly jumped to their feet and rang the bells. The news spread like wildfire. Within a few hours, everyone in the kingdom knew that she was taken, unwillingly, and that there would be a hefty reward for bringing her back. Many brave warriors seeking gold and perhaps a new wife streamed out of Mithril, determined to bring back the damsel in distress.

One man who wanted to rescue Annacaza, referred to as Scarfacial, had other reasons in mind besides a shit ton of gold. Why? Because of the kid whining at him, interrupting his morning sip of fermented banana peel extract.

He had originally found NoBanana foraging food in the trash piles near the place with the lonely lynx, the furthest southwest of the world. And such, coming from the same past as the boy, he took him under his wing to be his 'apprentice' in the works.

"Come on, Scarfacial!" NoBanana yanked the flask out of the man's hand and hid it behind his back, "Let's rescue the princess, it'll be fun!"

Scarfacial sighed. When he didn't have his daily drink he would be very, very mad. Especially when a certain brat in a drab cloak took it. "Let's not, kid. By the time we find out where she's at, we'd get news spreading like a certain highly contagious blood-borne disease about her return. Not worth the effort, so give back my stuff."

"No," NoBanana stared into Scarfacial's eyes. The boy's eyes seemed to turn red and strangely relaxing. Red with a myriad amount of swirling designs and mesmerizing motions."_You will obey me. We will rescue the princess, and I will accompany you._"

"That's a seriously unsettling and a horribly hypnotic voice," Scarfacial said, "Sure, I'll take you. Just give back my drink and don't make a fuss."

"Ah," wailed NoBanana, "Why can't my eye powers be cool and get people to not know that they've been controlled like in that one TV show I watched!"

"What's a TV?" Scar asked, hauling his burlap sack on his shoulder, "Nevermind. Anyway, there's no such thing so powerful, except for magic… which doesn't exist. Come on, we're heading to the nearest port."

And so the two walked north, north toward the adventure that would come. And maybe toward a new wife. NoBanana laughed in his head. Screw magic, he was special already.

**...**

"Who the Hell are you, a wizard?" Princess Annacaza exclaimed, struggling against her bonds.

"Can you Be Quiet, I'm trying to sleep here," sighed her captor.

How long had it been since she was snatched from her room with a seemingly arcane force? A few days, perhaps. Being crammed into that dark room put a wrench in her there came that disorienting buzz that occupied her head. What a distraction in her plan to escape.

For the Nth time, Annacaza studied her surroundings, or at least what she could see. Splinters from the wooden floor stabbed at her legs, dust covered much of the area like a thin wool sheet, and in front of her was a bed - a proper bed - with elegant carvings and brightly embroidered designs on the blankets and pillows probably stuffed with the finest feathers in Mithril.

If only her captor had the decency to at least let her have the bed, not tied tied up on the floor similar to a witch about to get burned by the mob. What's more, he - or she - had the audacity to rest in the bed fit for royalty in front _of her_. In front of her, the princess of the most powerful kingdom in the world.

When Princess Annacaza escaped, she swore to make sure that abductor was captured and tortured on the spot. People who did such things deserved a fate much worse than death. Sleeping in a bed fit for kings and queens in front of her, of course. A mere commoner - what was he thinking?

"So tired…" muttered her capturer. He tossed and turned on the bed. After a while, at least to what if felt for the princess, the soft sounds of snoring filled the room.

And that signified the start of Annacaza's first escape attempt. The princess took a deep breath. It had been forever since she had the opportunity to try out her…. abilities.

If a conscious observer had been in the room, he or she would have felt the energies in him, the faint light from the bottom of the door, and anything that used to hold life be drained and placed in a singularity centered towards her chest. Not only could the observer feel it, the said observer could swear that he or she saw a dim, shimmering light in the area of that singularity. The center of the energies faintly glowed; dim enough to not draw attention to the sleeping abductor, but bright enough to know that something extraordinary was occurring.

"Jeg opfordrer ånden i Solen og Månen at fortryde obligationerne holder mig fra frihed," murmured Annacaza. The energy held in her body shot out, wrapping itself around the ropes that tied her and dissolved it to ashes.

Of course, the commoners of Survival 303 didn't know magic arts even existed. It was to be kept a secret, only in the hands of the elite. To be honest, learning such tricks was a bore. The amount of mathematical formulae having to be solved to make a simple smiting bolt was, to say the least, stupid. Already, Princess Annacaza's temple throbbed in exertion. She didn't like math anyway. Such an occupation of painting and sketching appealed to her more.

As the princess shakily stood up, she shot another scornful look at the figure sleeping near her. Poor him, the hooded man. If only he had kidnapped a princess with less affinity of the secret arts.

With her head held high, Annacaza opened the door out of the bedroom, toward freedom.

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><p><strong>Written in honour for AnnacazaAnnaryth/Anna and SCARFACIAL.**


	2. Chapter 2

The best investigators and detectives are stumped as to how Princess Annacaza vanished from her chambers. From our sources, the culprit disabled two of the best guards stationed in front of her door and managed to escape the eyes of over thousands of guards and servants in the palace. Some speculate that it's the same man who attempted to assassinate her five years ago, almost succeeding if not for the intervention of the Queen's Guards...

_Excerpt from 'YOUR PRINCESS IS IN ANOTHER CASTLE!?' article in The BS Tribune._

**...**

"Hell yes," Annacaza rejoiced, climbing over the rail of the ship, planning to swim to shore, "It's time to - "

She fell. Not into the frigid sea water, but into the air. The wind whistled around her as she dove in headfirst into the clouds. Luckily, panic had not completely overtaken her, and she murmured a spell that suspended her several thousands of feet off the ground.

"Jesus Christ," she said, observing the vast world of Survival 303. The princess was floating above Canyon Island, surprisingly close to her kingdom and operational base of the leemf cultists. To her right was Rockma Island, where projects of early mining were taking place. Thank God that the Rockma, large four-legged animals encased in rock-hard hide, were neutral. On the contrary, the expedition report she'd read of the men traveling to Horseshoe Island was horrifying - hostile unicorns as black as night eating them alive was not something that she'd ever want to experience.

Princess Annacaza gazed up at the mysterious machine she fell from zooming away from her, toward Spire, perhaps. She took note of its details; a smooth metallic body, a loud yet mesmerizing humming sound, and also casting a shadow the size of a war sloop on the sea. Her captor would get caught in no time with such a noticeable vessel.

The brown haired woman was about to figure out how to fly back to her castle when a sudden change in scenery jolted her. She recognized the elegant bed with her abductor on it immediately. What had happened?

"I spent my last chapter sle - I mean I get some Well Needed sleep and now you try to escape?" her captor sighed, still covered under the extravagant sheets, "Can't you stay here for a bit? Come on, the Food's nice."

"Fuck no," Annacaza conjured a force of energy to her palm, "Ved magt af Solen og Månen - "

"Skingra," her opponent muttered. The power in the princess' palm vanished.

Before Annacaza could speak in astonishment, the man in the bed said something else. Arcane binds materialized and fastened her to the old and splintered floor, back to where she started.

"Finally, I Can go back to sleep," he sighed.

So that male really is a wizard, Annacaza thought. She didn't want to be a damsel in distress, but her captor was quite obviously at a much higher level than her in magic. She would have to wait for someone to rescue her. The princess focused on creating a new vortex of power, but it dissipated as soon as it became slightly visible, a twinkle in the darkness. Might as well wait for someone to rescue her. An airship was bound to catch someone's attention.

And that was the conclusion of Escape Attempt Number One.

**...**

"This is bullshit," Scarfacial complained, sifting through his bag for money. From the amount of prospectors eager to save the princess, the captains of every ship inflated their prices of passage to an unbelievable amount. Sadly, currency was not in good supply for the vagrant.

"Can't you use your eye powers to get us a discount?" asked Scar.

"Huh?" said NoBanana, pointing to his eyes, "Idiot, I have a cooldown time for that skill. A few hours would be sufficient to use it again."

Scarfacial muttered something under his breath. Certainly something not appropriate to be read. That brat was very, very irritable. Cooldown time? Seriously? There were moments where the temptation of pulling out a crossbow and shooting him in the head was near overwhelming. If only the kid hadn't made it so that he couldn't kill him. Damn those eyes of his. Scar grew lost in his thoughts for a few minutes until something interrupted him. Great.

"Scarfacial?" NoBanana tapped his shoulder, pointing towards the end of the port, "Rumors say that there's a man who offers passage for a comparably cheaper price. Plus, it'll be a fantastic experience. All the regulars say that it's an airship!"

"How much?" he asked, "I've only got a few coppers left and I'm not going to sell the stuff on my back."

"Price is five coppers, apparently," NoBanana grinned. Creepy, though, since the smile didn't reach his eyes. That kid was something else. "I sense that his service is reliable, but maybe we should take precautions just in case."

"Don't care," Scar replied, walking towards the direction NoBanana pointed to, "We both can defend ourselves perfectly fine. It's just the money, and I don't want to resort to my old… methods."

"Does that mean I can put my training to use?" NoBanana asked, "I've always wanted to see how effective it was."

"Definitely not, unless he starts giving us trouble."

"That's a shame," chuckled the child as they strode through the crowds of adventurers. The Mithril Port, the largest ship marina northernmost of Mainland. Certainly an unusual place for an airship to be docked. Much less having an airship exist. No engine had enough power to sustain a platform in the air. The captain would be an interesting person to meet, to say the least.

The two strode towards the direction where the rumored cheap passage was. They weaved in and out of crowds, evaded the grasp of cunning thieves, and resisted window shopping in the vibrant bazaar. Port Mithril really did live up to its legacy. It seemed like hours to walk from one end to the other.

"Ah, there it is!" NoBanana broke the silence.

At the distance Scar was at, it floated about thirty five metres above the lapping waves of the ocean, leaving a sizeable shadow shading the ground. Scarfacial's eyes trailed up and observed a giant membrane holding in... what was it... air? It was connected to several thick ropes supporting the main part of a metal ship-like body. A loud vibration shook the aircraft, followed by the decreasing altitude of the machine. It contacted the ground with a loud clang.

As they arrived, a group of Queen's Guards clad in Mithril exited from the ship. Since the abduction of Princess Annacaza, security in ports had severely cracked down on those suspected to be the culprits. They must've finished searching the airship. Clear. The unlikely fear of being in the vicinity of the kidnapper decreased to zero.

After the soldiers left, a teen stepped out the door, wrapped in a dark cloak. Noticing the two visitors, he strode towards them.

"Heya," the captain smiled. Certainly charming, with brown hair and hazel eyes. And more description than NoBanana and Scarfacial's combined. "I'm guessing you're here for a ride to find The Princess? Six coppers for Both of you, please."

Six coppers? _Shit_.

Six coppers was certainly cheap, but Scar was one short. Just one. The command NoBanana instilled in his mind exploded into a migraine. Damn the kid and his eyes. Any of his hypnotic commands had agonizing consequences if they were broken.

"Five," he said, attempting to hide the obvious pain in his voice. "I'll do five. That's all the money I have."

"Negotiations, Huh?" the captain smiled again. Scar didn't know which was scarier - NoBanana's or the teen in front of him. "Fair enough, Five will do. Where's your destination?"

"Spire Island," Scar replied. From his experience, all evil villains had some kind of secret base on the jagged terrain. Like that one immaculate man with his furry feline.

"It will take quite some time, but I will keep to my word."

As the pain subsided in his head, the captain gestured behind him, a hatch open. The three went inside the metallic ship and sat in a circular room. Scarfacial dug into his bag, dropping the money with a clink on the table.

"Welcome to my airship," the captain said, straightening his dark cloak, "I'm Qoazi, by the way. We will Begin Departure toward Spire Island now."

"Qoazi?" Scar muttered, "Who the Hell named you that..."

"I could ask the same about You two," Qoazi said as he left the room, picking up the pile of coppers, and leaving behind a bewildered duo.

"He didn't ask us for our names," Scar pointed out.

"Quite a keen observation, Scarfacial," said NoBanana, "Perhaps I shall be the Watson to your Sherlock."

"Watson? Sherlock?" confused, Scar took a swig of his fermented banana peel extract, "Don't know what you're talking about."

"I… Nevermind," the child sighed. He would never get his references. "On a new subject, I created something for you. You've got no idea how hard it's taken to forge this."

NoBanana's hands fumbled around his sack, pulling out a miniature bag of black powder, a few crudely shaped steel… balls?, with crudely shaped… thing… with a hole on one side and a trigger-like mechanism on the other.

"May I ask what's this?" Scarfacial said, gazing through the hole in curiosity.

"It's something I learned before I met you," replied the brown haired child, "I call it a 'gun'. More precisely, I name yours the Chekhov's Gun. It shoots projectiles out of the hole you're looking through at a high velocity,and at a much faster speed than a crossbow. Don't forget its improved accuracy to your weapon."

Scarfacial nearly dropped the object. Losing an eye was towards the bottom of his to-do list. He gingerly turned the barrel's exit away from himself.

"Sorry, but I trust my crossbow more than this," Scar said, placing it in his sack, "But thanks, anyways."

"Your choice," NoBanana shrugged, "It's going to be useful later on."

Just then, Qoazi came back from the cockpit. A whirring was heard, and that weird feeling of falling overcame the two adventurers. An airship! Damn, talk about a once in a lifetime experience!

"It's quite weird in the beginning, But I assure you, It's quite safe," Qoazi mentioned, eyes studying his passengers, "Let's take a tour, Shall We?"

**...**

Moonlight shone through one of the circular windows, shining its pale light onto the vagrant's face. It highlighted his… features… that would certainly scare away most women on sight. A nasty scar on his left cheek, corroded right side from the incident with a certain powder lab, and to top it off, he hadn't bathed in weeks. This is why he loved hoods.

Captain Qoazi, though. He didn't even wince at the mess of his face. That teen was something else. He was hiding something though, that was for sure. Scarfacial recalled one of the last parts of the tour leading to their rooms, stopping by a large, visibly locked door.

"_Hey, Qoazi, what's that?" NoBanana pointed to the conspicuous door resembling a bank vault in one of those spy movies, "It looks important. Care to explain what's inside?"_

_Qoazi laughed and shook his head. "Just the Engine Room. You seem smart, Though, And I wouldn't want you Reverse Engineering my technology. 'Sides, It's dangerous. I certainly wouldn't want a dead passenger I'd have to throw overboard."_

"_Maybe tomorrow," mentioned NoBanana, "We can both go in there together. I've always loved stuff like this, and I swear I won't copy anything. Except for Scar, though. He can go back to drinking whatever abomination is in his flask."_

_Scar gritted his teeth and fingered the crossbow in his bag. Hypnotic command his ass, the imagery of a bolt to the brat's head almost overcame the mental block. Almost._

"_Perhaps," was all Qoazi mentioned, "Dinner is in a few hours. I apologize if anyone's a fan of fish. It is in short supply."_

_With that happy note, the captain left, leaving a pissed Scarfacial and an excited NoBanana standing in the metallic halls._

What was in the engine room? Scarfacial mused. It couldn't be the princess, that was for sure. The Queen's Guards always did a good job of searching for illegal cargo in ships, from his personal experience. Qoazi's airship was definitely searched over like a fine toothed comb. Perhaps it was just a regular engine room. Yes, yes. Anyone with the power to cause ships to fly would want to keep how it works a secret.

Before Scar drifted off to sleep, though, he unconsciously brought back an old memory.

"_The training has served you well, _," a man smiled warmly at him. "Take this pendant, and keep it safe. I'll be going away for a while, but I'm sure you'll find your own path."_

_In his hands, he held a tiny crystal that seemed to change colour with the light. Beautiful, yes, and it would fetch a nice sum on the market. Scarfacial took it from his hand and strung it around his neck. Expensive or not, it was a gift from his mentor. The pendant sparkled and glowed for a brief fraction of a second._

"_Goodbye, _, you will always be my hero."_

"_Goodbye. May we meet again, Davidii," Scarfacial replied._

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><p><strong>First part was a Curb Stomp Battle. Yeah, sorry about that. But I'm sure the people rescuing Anna have <em>something<em> up their sleeves.**


	3. Chapter 3

With the disappearance of the princess buzzing through the kingdom, numerous sources state that there's a new ruler on the block. One of our scouts we interviewed, insisting on the alias 'trialtest' stated, "[The new princess] is up to something terrible. I've seen it myself - machines tasked with executing anyone who opposes her rule, like the chef that didn't fluff her cake properly. That isn't the worst part, though. They look just like us..."

_Excerpt from 'This Trial Is A Tricky One' by reporter Emily Duchin & Others in The Mithril Daily_

**...**

It beckoned. The door to the engine room, composed of flawless stainless steel and locked tightly with three layers of security drew in NoBanana like a hungry Teraphyx to an unwitting human. The airship's loud thrum emanated from that room, hiding his footsteps clacking towards the entrance.

Just a little peek, he told himself. It wouldn't hurt anyone. NoBanana had no intention to copy the technology, but he did have a need to satisfy his curiosity of _how _it worked. What fuel source did it consume? Did it have an unprecedented design? What a treasure trove of secret knowledge!

Feet softly touching the polished floor, the child proceeded to creep towards the mysterious room. As he arrived at the door, he grasped his one-of-a-kind lockpicking tools and inserted them into the first keyhole. Excellent locks - high chance to be made by a master smith. What a great challenge!

As he was working on the locks, he remembered a moment similar to now. His 'father', of sorts, teaching him and complimenting him on his array of skills a few years ago. Nevertheless, such a time would never be able to occur again. NoBanana was taught from birth for one reason, and one reason only.

The third click resonated and the massive door swung open, scraping against the splintered floor. NoBanana cautiously stuck a part of his head in the room. Who knows, maybe there were superheated wires ready to cut and cauterize the head of any unsuspecting individual. Perhaps the boy was paranoid, but he carefully gazed around the inside of the secret engine room for any hidden traps.

It was dark, though, even with the purple glow coming from some…. thing… that could only be described as a mechanical core. Thin magenta lines traced intricate patterns around the metal sphere, pulsing by an unseen force. Several tubes led out of the implied power source towards the walls, leading to different parts of the ship. The rest of the room was bare, tinged in the lilac shade from the light.

"This is…," NoBanana's eyes filled in awe of the engine room. "It's amazing! Why didn't captain Qoazi ever sell this? He could be as rich as the princess!"

A motion from the corner of his eyes told him that he was not alone. From her hiding place in plain sight, a woman covered in dust and dirt stood up. Her brown locks reached shoulder length, and her eyes, the same color, studied him closely. Perhaps she may have been a noble, but the dirt and grime on her silk dress spoke otherwise.

"Because he's a criminal with a death flag on his head," she scowled, smoothing out the wrinkles on her garment, "Whoever you are, I'm the Princess Annacaza, and we've got to get out of here."

"Nice try," NoBanana laughed, "And I'm Shedletsky. There's no way for you to be the princess; we saw the Queens Guards search the ship for her."

"He used some kind of magic to deceive my guards," she said, "And who's Shedletsky?"

"He's - Nevermind," the boy sighed and turned towards the door. Magic? That only existed in fairy tales with evil wizards and huge beasts. That woman was surely mad. "Anyway, it seems like you need a breath of fresh air after being cooped out here for so long. Let's leave."

"Fine. Believe what you want."

As they were about to exit the engine room, the person NoBanana most expected was trudging along the hall. It was, of course, Qoazi, intently reading a book. The teen noticed the light coming from the still open door and looked up from his text.

"Oh, Heya, NoBanana. What are you Doing here so la…" he trailed off, noticing the woman next to him. In an instant, he started to mutter something, but the mad woman stopped him.

"Ved magt af Solen og Månen, vil din eksistens være væk," a beam, seemingly shining with the moon and sunlight, came out of the woman's outstretched finger and shot towards the captain. As it engulfed him, he gasped in pain and fell to the floor, barely supporting himself with an arm.

"What is this, a D-list special effect technique?" NoBanana frowned, looking back and forth at the collapsed captain and the insane woman. Perhaps believing in magic at this time would be appropriate. There was no other way the scene he had witnessed be done with something _not _arcane.

"Shut up, boy," the brown haired lady said, staring at the fallen Qoazi. "He still isn't dead yet. That was my most powerful spell, he should've died!"

"I certainly did Feel like dying. It was like being a fish flayed alive in a fryer," Qoazi said, "Läka."

The captain's body shimmered, as if he was a ghostly projection. It returned to normal after a moment. Qoazi stood up, as if there was no pain at all, and turned towards the two. It would be a pain to get rid of more witnesses. Too much mopping.

"But Luckily I always keep some protection on hand," Qoazi lifted his hand, creating a spinning vortex of energy. "Ansikte arrangör!"

"Ved magt af Solen og Månen, beskytte os mod hans angreb!"

Just as a wave of pure destruction hit them, a transparent shield, barely visible in the purple light, shattered instead and protected NoBanana and Annacaza from the blunt of the attack. They fell to the floor with a crack.

The two scrambled upright and dodged another destructive blow aimed at their faces. As the bolt sped behind them, it exploded and ruined the metal wall at the end of the hall, scattering shrapnel that stung their cheeks. It was by luck that none of the metal fragments reached their eyes. Annacaza turned towards NoBanana, shoving him towards the wreckage of the wall.

"I don't know who the fuck you are, but run!" Annacaza turned back to face the captain, "I'll hold him back!"

"Are you sure?" NoBanana observed the scene. Half the hall in a wreck from who knew what, air still filled with the dust of the explosion, and a chaotic evil man guarding the other exit. A disheveled princess-like woman would be no hope against him, certainly, unless she had a gambit up her dress. "No offense, but it seems like he's got us already."

"My teacher told me to take action in what I believe in," Annacaza said, "And I'll protect myself and my kingdom to my last breath. I will never give up to the likes of him!"

"Now that's just cliche," sighed NoBanana.

"Am I really that Bad?" Qoazi frowned, "My mum always told me - "

The captain suddenly appeared behind them in the time it took to blink. How did he manoeuvre beside them so fast? Perhaps it was time to believe in magic, however absurd it was.

They were done for, but at a moment of divine intervention, a click sounded in NoBanana's head. His wait time for his special trick was over, and the advantage of having Qoazi closer to him was too good to pass up. NoBanana locked sights with the wizard.

"_Obey me, Qoazi,_" NoBanana's eyes turned a ruby red, glowing with a compelling force. "_Let's talk. Why don't we begin with why you kidnapped the Princess Annacaza?_"

A strange cooling sensation filled the teen's mind, attempting to convince him to just _let go_. Even though Qoazi's will was strong enough to deflect much of the influence, he knew that he would have to do whatever the boy in front of him commanded.

"Huh, This is an interesting trick," Qoazi smiled. He was impressed. Since the wizard's birth, he had spent his time studying magic arts with his tutor. Such topics ranged from energy generation, explosions, healing, and, of course, mind manipulation. It would be a sound deduction that Qoazi was under one of those spells right now, but to be influenced by a child…

What was he?

"Quit stalling and answer the question," commanded NoBanana. A headache started to form in the captain's head.

"Alright, Then," started Qoazi, "I did it because There was no other… alternative…"

"_Explain._"

"Haven't you heard about the Increased raids?" Qoazi asked, "Or the leemf cultists? Or even the rising amount of General Corruption occurring in this world?"

"_So you want to cleanse the world them with some artificial virus or something so you can rule the world?_" NoBanana shook his head, "_You'd be no worse, you know that?_"

"Don't jump to conclusions."

Before NoBanana could speak, though, he was interrupted by footsteps heading his way. As he turned to investigate the noise, his red iris' faded back to brown, and his control over the captain vanished.

"Hey, kid, watch out!" warned Annacaza.

Too late, as Qoazi raised his hand and shot another face arranger at the unsuspecting child. NoBanana was hurled back several feet away, left sprawled on the ground in front of a very tired Scarfacial. The kid didn't have his face re-arranged, but he certainly was in a bad condition. The vagrant close to him took a sip of his fermented banana peel extract before speaking.

"I heard a noise when I was about to sleep, and now I see this kid on the floor," Scarfacial said, holding up his crossbow, "What's going on?"

"A boring fight scene, nothing to read here," NoBanana groaned. To Scar, the kid must've broken every bone in his body. Yeah, sure, definitely boring. A flash of anger crossed the vagrant's mind. He may have had a bad past, but innocents and children should _never _deserve this. Someone had to pay. That left two suspects - the woman who looked suspiciously like Princess Annacaza and Qoazi.

Wait. That woman… She didn't just look like her. She was the princess. That hair, the diamond and chromite necklace, and her eyes. Especially those eyes. Scar could recognize them everywhere; the eyes that seemed to know everything and pierce any male's heart like an arrow from a yewbeam bow. Or something like that. Love was confusing.

"A… Annacaza?" Scarfacial lowered his weapon in astonishment, "Is that really you?"

"What the Hell? Of course I'm me!" Annacaza exclaimed in exasperation. What a surprise, she recognized someone on the ship. Though not the type one would like to associate with, even after five years. "And you! You're the one - "

"Save that for later. We're getting off of this ship. Now," said Scar, "And I want everyone to save the bullshit explanations of what happened for later."

"Not on My watch," said Qoazi, "Blockera."

Two thin walls materialized, composed of coruscating magic, sealing off the exits in the hall. Scarfacial fired a bolt at the obstruction, which shattered on impact. A few splinters embedded themselves on his cheek. The bolts were made from one of the finest craftsmen, designed to never break under any circumstances. If they broke on the barrier…

"Let's have A Deal," said Qoazi, "I'll let you three go, If you, Scar, Defeat me in a fight."

"... And if I lose?" the man glanced at Annacaza, afraid of what fate befell her. And NoBanana, sprawled on the ground, of course. Just a lot less.

"I'll toss you off My ship and use the princess and the boy for my Own means," replied !oazi, "Is there a deal, Or shall I kill you anyway?"

From the crushed appearance of the hall and the other two, a head on fight would not go in Scarfacial's favor. Not only that, it seemed as if the captain had a few tricks up his cloak. Hypnosis or something; a mind trick that somehow convinced Scar that the shining barriers were real.

Magic didn't exist, after all. Not even when, five years ago, princess Annacaza deflected the killing bolt away from her head. Certainly a blow to Scar's reputation, for not being able to snipe a target ten metres away. That was not magic. It couldn't have been. Now was not magic, either, and that gave Scar the strength to accept Qoazi's warped offer.

A groan from NoBanana interrupted his thoughts. The child gazed up, meeting Scar's eyes. The brat's eyes held no emotion, but the vagrant could guess what he was going to state next.

"Don't fall for the hero trap, Scar," he croaked, "I don't know why he wants me all of a sudden, but you've got to escape and warn the Queen's Guards."

"This is one thing that the boy and I agree with," Annacaza said, "You'd have a better chance of returning alive by breaking the shield. Forget about us; I don't believe Qoazi would resort to killing us so fast."

The pleading in the princess' chocolate brown eyes and that cute mouth in the shape of a pout almost made Scar abandon his decision. Almost. He had a command instilled in his head, and he was going to obey.

"I accept," Scarfacial pulled out another bolt from his bag and clicked it in place. He pointed the crossbow at the captain standing a few meters away. Nobody could dodge a bolt at that distance.

"You idiot!" yelled NoBanana, "We're done for!"

"Let's begin," Qoazi conjured two balls of fire in his hands. Another mind trick of his. "Perhaps you may win, But I wouldn't count on it."

Not many knew of Scarfacial's past. NoBanana only knew a fraction, to the child's dismay. Mainland news agencies dubbed Scarfacial as the Scarred Man, a contract killer who got the job done with a bolt to the head and a flask full of a disgusting liquid. He was a sensation whenever a high profile target was found dead, but the killings came to a sudden stop five years ago.

Perhaps it was time for the Scarred Man to resurface again, this time as the savior of Mainland.

* * *

><p><strong>It's like sewing a quilt.<strong>

**tl;dr nobanana's eyes strike again, OP qoazi, scar is a hitman, and anna is legit**


	4. Chapter 4

Of all the islands, many experts agree that Plateau has the highest concentration of magic in its vicinity. It is hypothesized that this is because once, many eons ago, the center of the world was this island. Its core, full of energy, is what began the cycle of life and death and everything else. Recently, an influx of corrupted filth has contaminated the force that drives it, in turn plaguing the world of Survival 303 with misfortune after misfortune. There is a way to cleanse it, though, but the catalysts are quite difficult to obtain...

Excerpt from 'We Need A Protagonist For This' by researcher Idvidia Ravivsul

…

The fight was not going well for Scarfacial. Like a mythical giant climbing down a beanstalk and seeking the blood of a young boy, he was outmatched. A shame he wasn't the giant in this situation. The man's skills were the best in his profession, but despite that, his opponent's tricks disoriented him and drove Scarfacial to the point of near insanity.

Qoazi was unnaturally fast, able to dodge the vagrant's crossbow bolts with ease. Not evading the projectiles with swift movements like previous adversaries, but suddenly appearing at another spot in an instant. Such a feat, Scar knew, was impossible. Damn, the captain's mind tricks were powerful. It would take a person with much more resolve to resist the effects.

"Bränna!"

Scarfacial turned to his left just in time to avoid a blazing white hot beam coming his way. The heat singed a part of his face and shot towards the still shielded exit, dispelling in a hiss.

"Hey, Scar, don't lose hope," NoBanana halfheartedly cheered, bound by an arcane force at the edge of the hall, "At least if you die, you'll be known as the dumbest hero ever, told to kids in the form of an eBook. Assuming that we survive to tell that story, that is."

"Serves him right for trying to kill me," Annacaza rolled her eyes, restricted in a similar fashion to the shild next to her, "Do you hear me? This is retribution to your act of treason five years ago!"

Reloading another bolt with a click, Scarfacial ignored them. Distractions in a fight like this were fatal, and he intended to have a normal life expectancy. After all, he was twenty six, and it was unheard of for any man of his age to wash up to shore.

Another mental apparition, this time as a wave of darkness, swept toward the hitman. Better to be safe than sorry, and with that Scar vaulted over it and took aim at Qoazi's head. He fired.

Wait.

Did his mind slip again with the overall excitement and adrenaline in his head? Scarfacial could have bet his gemstone on his neck that Qoazi would never have been able to dodge the shot. Nobody could, especially one so close to him.

"What is it, Are you tired of Dancing already?" Scar, startled by his opponent's voice behind him, swiftly drew a hidden blade and slashed.

Expecting to hit his face, it happened. Again. Scarfacial's knife whistled through the air behind him, the space where a split second ago Qoazi stood. Sweat rolled down the vagrant's forehead. After all, how were you supposed to defeat someone you couldn't touch?

"Ansikte arrangör!" Qoazi conjured a wave of force, " And nice weapon, it's almost a shame that it didn't hit me."

Scarfacial jumped over the incoming projectile, but even he noticed his energy waning. Even with his training, as a hitman, he did not specialize in fights for an extended period of time. His body began to ache, ripples of pain coursing through muscle. If the fight kept going on like this, well, it would be impossible to win.

...

Near the edge of the metal hall, NoBanana cursed at his bindings. He had noticed something quite peculiar, but the ropes of a glowing blue energy tying him up did little to aid his view. If only that oaf Scarfacial could move. Whatever. He could recall perfectly from memory alone.

The child clicked his tongue and pieced together scenes in his head. His mentor and resident meat shield ejecting a bolt from his crossbow. The bolt snapping at impact on the glowing walls preventing escape. The slight twitch on Qoazi's normally stoic face. Yes, yes, that was the key. The question was, would Scar be able to do it?

Luckily, the cloaked ex-hitman was still alive, albeit wincing and cradling his arm while sloppily dodging firebolts left and right. Most likely got grazed from that black wave attack. NoBanana could relate - that destructive _thing _was very, very powerful. Now that Scarfacial was crippled by it, it was likely that this adventure would not have a happy ending. There was only one chance.

"Hey, Scar," said NoBanana, craning his neck as far as he could towards the curb stomping," Try attacking the shields Qoazi put up."

Because of the sudden distraction, Scarfacial barely twisted out of the way of a firebolt, hissing as it scalded his flesh. He spared a moment to scowl at the kid.

"I'm pretty sure that we've already established that they're indestructible," he said, "Go back to inhaling the fumes of your burning hemp."

NoBanana's eyes narrowed, annoyed at still not being taken seriously. "I know it's the definition of insanity, but trust me on this."

"Come on, Don't listen to the child," said Qoazi, hearing what the conversation was about,"He's doing… Umh… Childish things and spreading Lies."

"How would you know that I am a mere child?" frowned the child, "Come on, Scarfacial, give it a try. It's our only chance."

"Sorry, Qoazi, but this fight scene is taking way too long," the man stated, feinting a stab at his opponent, then rushing past him. He loaded another bolt and fired at the shimmering wall. And loaded another. And fired.

"A-Are you seriously going to - "

"Yes."

"Klippa med." the drab teen suddenly reappeared, latching onto Scar's back. "I can't let you Do that!"

"And I thought you denied that that illusion of yours was a weak point?" Scarfacial cursed at the abnormally strong grip pinning him down. That scrawny teen shouldn't have been able to lift a small bush stump, much less keep a hitman from moving. He groaned internally. Not another 'magic' power again...

"No, I just tried to discredit That Son of yours' claim," smirked Qoazi. He had successfully held the man in place on the splintered floor, pinning Scar's appendages with the strength of 420 men.

Son? Really? As if the wanderer would ever introduce a kid like that to this world. If there was a person he would like to kill, it would definitely be the boy. And then Scar came to the revelation that the person most capable of killing him was too close for comfort. And probably about to sneakily slit his throat or something that amateur assassins did. But still, he had to give the captain credit. The hallucinations he experienced during the fight were the most lifelike he had ever seen, after all.

Qoazi's hands slightly loosened as he shifted his weight, and a slight tingling was felt.

"Oh, Right, You're at my mercy, Now. What to do? Shall I dip you in a vat Of Acid I have lying around?" the wizard's hazel eyes seemed to arc with electricity, "Oh, Wait, I've got it. Goodbye."

"Just go f - "

"Elektrisk!"

The faint tingling sensation felt before exploded to pain on par with NoBanana's migraines, just everywhere. Pain tolerance could only last so long, of course, and soon a very long drawn-out obscenity escaped his lips. Blisters and burns surfaced along the man's skin and the odor of smoked meat wafted through the air.

"Scar, can't you be quiet?" NoBanana rolled his eyes, "I'm a kid, and I don't need to be hearing the filth coming out of your mouth."

"I think that you're Lacking some sympathy, 'Child', But whatever. My Plan is still on track," said Qoazi.

While NoBanana didn't particularly care for the hitman, he was vital towards his plan. If Scar died before _it _happened...

Then the boy noticed something on the floor. A plan formulated in his head. It could work.

"Hey, princess, are you alright?" NoBanana turned to the woman, "You haven't spoken at all in the ch… Recently."

"What? Am I smelling beef?" She blinked and scornfully gazed at the chaos occurring away from her, "Oh, right, I was just remembering some stuff from the past."

"Definitely, judging from how you managed to just notice the smell. Oh, and the screaming, too, " the child gently shoved the book Qoazi dropped towards her with his foot, "I need you to launch that at Qoazi. If we don't stop him, Scar's going to die."

"Why would I want to help _him_?" Annacaza whipped her head away from the book, scowling at the memory of her attempted assassination.

"Because after we're free you can throw him in the deepest, darkest, moldiest dungeon in the kingdom," grinned NoBanana, "And I know how much he hates mold."

"That's actually a decent offer," she said, focusing energies around the book beside her, "But then I'll have to throw you in, too, so sorry about that."

"No offense taken," NoBanana shrugged, or at least attempted to due to his bonds, "I'll get away somehow."

"Sure," Annacaza focused on wrapping the book, _50 Shadings of Grey_ by Idvidia Ravivsul, in energy. It was reasonably thick, and leather bound. Perfect for a makeshift projectile. Still, she was surprised as to why her captor forgot to dispel her magic. Nevertheless, the princess focused on the book, now glowing, and brought it up to a hover.

Like letting go of a taut bowstring, the tension in her mind relaxed and caused the large book to sail across the hall. It hurtled and hit the wizard's head with a sickening crack. Qoazi's eyes widened in disbelief at the book he discarded preciously and collapsed on top of the tortured man.

Despite the lethal shock, the vagrant pushed the body off himself and rolled over. The translucent walls imprisoning them in the hall briefly sparkled and vanished, and NoBanana could detect that the strength of the magic ropes started to loosen.

"I don't know what the hell happened, but I'm gonna roll with it," and Scarfacial, still covered in blisters and delicious smelling flesh, uncorked his flask of fermented banana peel extract and splashed the contents in the still-recovering teen. He then stood up and bolted as fast as an anthropomorphic gingerbread cookie toward somewhere out of the hall.

"And he's still alive?" NoBanana's bonds vanished as he stirred and crawled to that mysterious engine room, "They tell me I'm the weird one… Oh well, at least it's my turn to pilot this ship now."

"Wait, where the fuck did that magical guy go?" Exclaimed Annacaza.

**...**

Even after surviving a near death experience, Scarfacial still being pursued by a certain main antagonist. This guy, a good-looking, psychopathic hypnotist just didn't know when to stop. Already bloodied on his head and covering his eyes, Qoazi summoned bolt after bolt of surprisingly accurate fireballs. It was only the hitman's quick reflexes that allowed him to escape with a few burns.

"Ugh, It's Like I Have Teraphyx Urine In My Eyes," the wizard muttered, "You're Much Harder To Kill Than I Thought."

The man's mind was racing. He was approaching the exterior of the airship, with only a rail to protect passengers from falling to their demise. As far as Scar knew, he didn't want to be anywhere near a railing several thousand feet in the air with the harsh wind. His stomach lurched by thinking about it. There had to be another escape option.

Too late, as Scarfacial's rough, bruised, burnt hands closed around the cool metal pole. He narrowly evaded a bolt of fire that seemed to melt the metal beside him. Good. Little did Qoazi know, Scar analyzed how often his opponent could blast him with fire at a given time. Judging from how the captain gave off every signal in the book that he was mad as hell, it was safe to say that he was firing as fast as he could. Scar could make this shot, even in such turbulence.

Scarfacial pulled out the gun NoBanana gave him and aimed in the split second after the flame missed him.

He was about to push that thing called a 'trigger' when the entire airship suddenly tilted ninety degrees downwards. The wind forced him into the air, but Scar gripped the rail with both hands in time.

The massive shock he experienced weakened his muscles, though, and his grip loosened as the powerful air currents pushed him back.

As Scarfacial fell towards the water, his life flashed before his gray eyes and a burning sensation on his chest grew before a bright light took over his vision.

Qoazi gazed over the railing, making sure another miracle didn't occur after his eyes sufficiently recovered. There was nothing; just the relaxing, cool ocean after a storm.

**tl;dr just nerf qoazi already and get it over with**


	5. Chapter 5

Abducting Princess Annacaza was easy enough, I suppose. The Queen's Guards were fat and Lazy and even took bribes in the palace. Honestly, a ragtag Bunch of mercenaries would have done a better job, especially if the rumored Scarred Man was on the Team.

She is currently asleep on the floor, Bound by terrible knotwork. But hey, I'm a sorcerer, Not a Lynx Scout. I noticed the gem on her necklace. Identical To mine, I think. You know, it's sparkly and catches the light and explodes into fireworks, But actually doesn't explode. Ugh, So hard. I'm Not a writer, Either...

_Qoazi's Journal (Diary) Entry #573, recovered from..._

**...**

"Pass the dip."

"Yea, Sure."

Who knew that there was a cozy, fully fledged recreation space just above the wreckage from the hall? Annacaza, NoBanana, and Qoazi relaxed in the thick, fluffy couches of Den'rai fur while enjoying their afternoon snack. A fire cackled softly several feet away, giving much needed warmth to the prisoners, countering the flow of frigid air outside.

"This stuff," NoBanana crunched on the lightly salted cracker covered in mashed seed, "is delicious. If only we had some freedom to escape instead of being cooped up here."

"I appreciate your input, But I can't let You escape yet," Qoazi took a sip of spiked apple juice, "Just One more person, Some congregation Later, And we can All live happily ever after."

"I find that hard to believe, I mean, look!" NoBanana pointed to the princess to the left of him, who was weeping in her seat, "You made a woman cry!"

"Look, 'Child', It wasn't my Fault. Technically, You were the one piloting My Ship like an aimless Bento Buck, thus forcing Mister Scarfacial off the deck," said Qoazi.

"Well then," the child took a chip, and ate it, "At least I'm not blind. I wager you can't even steer properly by now."

Qoazi's hand touched the corner of his eye in what appeared to be sadness. Ever since he came in contact with a splash of that... Poison... Things had never been the same. The wizard's hazel irises turned a dull shade and his eyes appeared to be soulless. And the darkness. Never had he felt so alone, even with two annoying occupants close by.

"Whatever was in that flask, It seems like Scarfacial had quite the experiences with magicians," Qoazi stood up from his couch and brushed off a clump of Den'rai fur, "Anyway, I'm going to sleep. Please don't begin to conspire about how to escape once I leave."

Arms stretched in the air, the wizard left with a yawn and nearly hit the door frame before stumbling out and shutting the exit of the room. For a few seconds, only the little fire provided sound. No one spoke.

"So... Do you miss Scar?" NoBanana leaned back on the soft, critically endangered animal fur and hung a sparkling gem on a twine necklace in the air. It caught the light from the fireplace and the candles above and let out an explosion of warm colours.

At the sight of the necklace, Annacaza's crying halted. Her red eyes widened, then turned nearly swollen shut. "No, why would I?"

"Come on, I read it myself. It's revealed towards the end that you love him."

"Read?" Annacaza snorted, "What type of damsel in distress fairy tale have you been on?"

"It's called _Purple Shards_, for your information. The plot in a nutshell is pretty much about an ex-hitman and his sidekick on an adventure to rescue a princess kidnapped by an evil wizard on an airship. Seem familiar?" NoBanana placed the necklace back behind his shirt.

"Definitely," she frowned, "So familiar, in fact, I bet you're making it up."

"Fine, fine, it's not like I can control your thoughts," the child said, "I'll indulge you in a spoiler, though. Scar's alive."

"_What?_"

"Anyway," NoBanana waved away the topic, "Let's come up with an escape plan. Clearly, sneaking off this thing while Qoazi's sleeping was an ineffective move."

"How di - "

He waved away her question again, continuing on, "As I said, _Purple Shards_. And the book also mentioned this plan, the one we're going to do in a week."

"Of course, put our lives on stake because of a fucking book."

"Qoazi made it quite clear that we're very valuable cargo. If anything goes wrong, we can always take ourselves hostage."

"That defeats the point of an escape attempt if we kill ourselves. Qoazi isn't that dumb."

"Stop being a pessimist, look on the bright side. When Escape Plan Number Two is a success, at least I can say, 'I told you so.'"

"Fuck off," Annacaza went back to doing whatever the hell she did on her stay on Qoazi Air. Sketching, most likely. It always helped her calm down whether it be from a petty argument to a nanite apocalypse.

NoBanana, having lost a friend to speak to, began to have a conversation with himself. In his mind, though, since talking to yourself sent you to a prison nicknamed 'the loony bin'. Who knew what he was discussing, though. NoBanana was a... Special... Person, to say the least.

And, of course, the blind wizard with a 98% approval rate, Qoazi, was, unbenknownst to them, watching the events that unfolded. Normally, blind people, _especially _blind scandinavians, should not have been able to watch from the shadows. That's OK, since nobody noticed the pure genius it took to pretend to stumble out of that door and plant some type of magical surveillance device to monitor their every move. What was even better was that it converted the feed to dream-o-vision 1998, which was perfect for a chronic sleeper like Qoazi. Sure, the video quality was not up to par, but he could manage.

_"Insolent dunce! You were lucky I convinced you to install a magical Observation system to thwart their plans," _the Den'rai said, its smooth voice filling his dream.

"That's just creepy," muttered Qoazi, "Do you know how I would feel if I discovered that My stay at a hostel was bugged? I would not want to be caught Dead with a copy of a children's card game on camera. Besides, You're a Den'rai. Go back to your cave."

_"I cannot, fool," _the Den'rai hissed, yet still sounded smooth and rich like grandma's soup but more tasty, _"I am Indigo Montana, you killed my family and turned them into furniture, prepare to die."_

Qoazi rolled his eyes. Or whatever felt like his eyes, since he didn't manifest his them in the dream. "You always say that, But I'm not getting the Reference."

_"What is this? You've only read the mediocre works of Idvidia Ravivsul and Deoxycitidine__and the likes? Shame on you!" _

The teen was about to make a comment on how much he had enjoyed killing Indigo's family for arbitrary reasons, but the sight of a low resolution NoBanana punching and denting the wall interrupted his thoughts.

"I can't take it!" screeched NoBanana, "There's _nothing _to do here! Someone, just _please _give me something to read! Even Stephanie Meyer's works would suffice!"

"Jesus Christ, calm down," an onscreen Annacaza said from her sketchbook.

The child continued pummeling the wall, eventually ripping through the metallic surface, to the shock of Qoazi and Annacaza. NoBanana appeared unharmed.

"Ved magt af Solen og Månen, holde ham tilbage!"

But good thing Annacaza held him in place with magic bonds and dragged him back to the main cushion area. More property damage than needed would have been undesirable. Qoazi was drowning in debt from the previous fight, and his insurance plan didn't cover damage to his ship.

_"What other derogatory names shall I call you?" _Indigo sighed, _"You do realize you forgot to dispel her magic abilities?"_

"I'm tired, Indigo. I'll do it later."

_"You're already asleep."_

"I know, I want to Sleep while sleeping. That's how Tired I am."

_"What about the unanswered questions? NoBanana can crush steel walls. And his necklace, the princess seemed to recognize it. The plot can't move on until you get to the bot -"_

"Goodnight," with that, the dream-o-vision 1998 winked to a black, dreamless void while Qoazi drifted away.

Indigo was furious, to say the least. On a scale of a fluffy bunny to a Yellowstone eruption, his anger would have been the Big Bang itself, creating baby planets and stars of its own degree of rage. Not only had the wizard been overjoyed at the slaughter and transformation of his family, he had the nerve to reject his advice.

Such an act deserved retribution. Indigo would have to wait, but when the time came, he would have revenge, and Qoazi would beg to be swimming in fermented banana peel extract when he finished. The Den'rai did that evil laugh that every other villainous mastermind formerly residing on Spire somehow pulled off.

**...**

"How the fuck am I still alive?"

Scarfacial groaned, inhaled a good helping of sea breeze, and gazed at the sky. Funny how the weather changed so fast, from a storm to a sun that radiated nice, warm, and tropical feelings. Oh, right, the storm. The last thing the man remembered was a burning sensation on his chest and a bright light engulfing his vision. Definitely not the transition to Heaven.

Waves from the ocean cooled his feat as Scarfacial searched through the sand. His hand brushed against the burlap sack he always had. Maneuvering his hand, he opened the bag and searched for his flask.

"Dammit," the vagrant aborted his search once it was apparent there was no supply of fermented banana peel extract. His head and everything else ached. There was an annoying throbbing in his forehead. Scar closed his eyes and drifted away.

* * *

><p><strong>This is... short...<strong>


End file.
